Wireless communication can be used as a means of accessing a communication network. Wireless communication has certain advantages over wired communications for accessing a network. For example, implementing a wireless interface can eliminate a need for a wired infrastructure thereby reducing the cost of building and maintaining network infrastructure. In addition, a wireless network can support added mobility by allowing a wireless device to access the network from various locations or addresses. A wireless interface can comprise at least one transceiver in active communication with another transceiver that is connected to the network.
In addition, wireless communication networks can implement various methods of maintaining a communication link with a wireless device. Network infrastructure can be used to support a high number of simultaneous cellular communication links with wireless devices. However, network infrastructure hardware has limitations that can easily be exceeded as the number of wireless devices running applications in constant communication with the network increases. When the network reaches usage thresholds, service interruptions can occur causing an undesirable user experience.
A network operator can ease network congestion at access nodes by offloading wireless device traffic using various offloading mechanisms. For example, the wireless device can be handed over to a different access node where the target access node is associated with the same network operator and/or a different network operator, the wireless device can be handed over to a different frequency band of the same and/or different radio access technology, the wireless device can be handed over to a micro cell access node such as a Femtocell or a picocell access node, or another wireless device can be activated to be an access node such that the wireless device becomes a Wi-Fi hotspot. However, initiating communications with the wireless communication network using one of the various offloading mechanisms can negatively impact performance of the wireless device as well as reduce the quality of service received by the wireless device.
Overview
Systems and methods for offloading traffic in a wireless communication system are provided. It can be determined at a network node that a performance parameter of an access node meets a performance threshold. A profile of a wireless device in communication with the access node can be determined where the profile comprises an acceptable offloading condition. A plurality of offloading mechanisms can be identified based on the performance parameter and the acceptable offloading condition. An estimated change in the performance parameter can be determined for each combination of one of the plurality of offloading mechanisms and the acceptable offloading condition. An offloading mechanism can be selected based on the estimated change in the performance parameter and the acceptable offloading condition. The wireless device can be instructed to establish communication with the wireless communication system using the selected offloading mechanism.